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RESEARCH GRANTS IN TOBACCO CONTROL

Bangladesh bears a high burden of tobacco-caused illnesses and it is also a tobacco producing country. Historically, tobacco control policy research has not been a popular topic within the academic community in Bangladesh. Data is needed to develop and strengthen tobacco control policy interventions in Bangladesh. The overall objective of the research grant program is to increase research capacity and to generate local evidence to support effective tobacco control policy measures in the country, and thus prevent death and disease from tobacco use.

The Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network (BTCRN) in collaboration with the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA is putting emphasis on increasing research capacity and generating local evidence for effective tobacco control policies. The Research Grant Program is the first of its kind in Bangladesh and was initiated in 2013 with 10 research grants; to date, 79 grants have been awarded though six grant cycles. Postgraduate students and experienced researchers aspiring to contribute to tobacco control policy research in Bangladesh are eligible to apply for a research grant.

II.Focus Research Areas for 2019 program:

Proposals on the research topics below are requested for the 2019 Tobacco Control Policy Research Grant Program.

• Tax and price measures, including illicit trade policy in relation to taxation

III. Timeline for proposal submission:

No later than 4.30 p.m. on February 14, 2019 (Bangladesh Time)

IV.Instructions for proposal development:

The research topic must be within the above-mentioned themes/areas. Proposals on generating local evidence that would contribute to developing a new policy or strengthen an existing one in line with the components of World Health Organization’s MPOWER package (http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/) are recommended.

Proposals on quitting tobacco use, studies on sub-populations, and evaluation of in-country tobacco control programs are currently considered to be non-priority issues.

Interested applicants are requested to submit their proposals following the guidelines available at http://bit.ly/BTCRG19 In the case of student applicants, proof of current university enrollment must also be submitted. Three hard copies and a soft copy of the proposal in a CD should be submitted to the following address. Please mark the category “Student” or “Researcher” on top of the envelope.

In the cover letter of the proposal, the applicant is requested to include a declaration as provided below:

“As a Principal Investigator of the research proposal, I declare that neither I nor any staff members proposed in the proposal is a recipient of financial support from any tobacco product manufacturer or the parent, subsidiary or affiliate of a tobacco product manufacturer including PMI IMPACT and Foundation for a Smoke-free World”.

For queries and clarifications, please contact us through email at btcrg@bangldesh-ccp.org by January 31, 2019.

BCCP Tobacco Control Research Grant Program

House # 08, Road # 03, Block- A

Section -11, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh

Email: btcrg@bangladesh-ccp.org

V.Eligibility of the applicants

Student Category:

The student should be enrolled in a postgraduate program in Bangladesh.

Applicant should be available in the country throughout the research period.

Researcher Category:

Researchers having a Masters, M.Phil, or Ph.D. degree and affiliated with any university, institution or organization in Bangladesh. The applicant must submit a No Objection Letter from the applicant’s respective organization to carry out the research once it is selected.

Researchers must be available in the country throughout the research period.

Applicants must have at least 3 years of research experience and have demonstrated their ability to conduct a research study independently:

- Applicants must have at least one research publication as a first author. Evidence to prove research publication must be submitted with the application.

- A list of research studies mentioning the roles of the applicants must be submitted on a separate page.

VI.Selection Process

Proposals will be short-listed according to the priorities listed above and based on the quality and rigor of the application.

Short listed proposals will be reviewed by a panel of researchers and program/policy advisors to identify applicants who will be invited to make presentations in front of a review panel.

Based on their merit, proposals will be selected for funding.

Each selected proposal will receive a grant for a nine-month research project. The grant value for the Student category is US$ 5000 and for the Researcher category is US$ 10,000.

The program will commence in March 2019.

Each applicant is eligible to submit one proposal.

VII. Document to be submitted

Three (3) hard copies of the proposal with a soft copy on a CD and the following documents must be submitted:

Student applicant must be enrolled as a student at any recognized university or educational institution in Bangladesh. A proof of enrollment must be submitted with the proposal.

The applicant should submit a consent letter from his/her Supervisor/Mentor confirming the following:

- The Supervisor/Mentor will oversee all components of the research activity

- Be available to attend research project related meeting(s) as and when required

- Ensure the quality of the research including research report

- Mention that s/he is providing a consent letter for not more than one applicant for the 2019 Research Grant Program.

VIII. Content of the proposal

1. Cover page (Title of the study, name of the applicant, organization and contact details)

c) Travel and Transportation Cost (Inter district travel costs by Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, and other travel costs not related to data collection) - maximum 10% of total cost

d) Professional Service (Honorarium for Supervisor/Mentor and fees for Ethical Clearance) - maximum 10% of total cost

e) General Operating Cost (any other costs related to the research work) - maximum 10% of total cost.

12.Signed updated short CVs of key personnel (Applicant, Supervisor/Mentor, Co-investigator) involved in the research (not more than 5 pages each)

IX.Proposal review process

The research proposal will be assessed based on the following criteria:

a. Relevance to the priorities of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.

b. Uniqueness of the study’s contribution to the evidence base that supports the resolution of current tobacco control priority issues in Bangladesh.

c. Quality and feasibility

d. Suitability of approach, design, methods and/or analysis

e. Policy implications and scope for further research

BCCP will not compensate applicants for preparation of proposals against this grant announcement. This announcement does not make any commitment to award a grant to anyone. BCCP reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal without giving any explanation . Research work may be terminated at any time if research quality and the timeline of research are not maintained.

We are a leading strategic communication organization providing one-stop services for social development sector, both in Bangladesh and in the Asia region. We emerged in 1996 as the successor to the Bangladesh office of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (JHU.CCP), USA.